The methods in that article are based around the data files that can be downloaded from a GPS unit (usually .gpx files). The intermediary step is to edit which data points you want to use using a text editor or an actual program before plotting things on a map.

A simpler way is just to take a topo image and draw on your route free hand using an image editor if you don't have GPS data or aren't sure of the route.

Takes a little while to get used to the process and experiment with which methods you like but it's worth the perseverance. Good luck.

Thanks Baarb...I should have been a little clearer with my question.I was planning to use an image editor (Photoshop) with a topo image but I don't know how to get topo images.Where would I find these? Do I have to pay?Thanks

Navigate to area of interest, choose 'Mark Points' button on the right-hand side, then click on map to create a balloon, then click balloon to see what maps are available and download the one you want. There are different layers you can turn on and off in the resulting file.

I use DeLorme Topo 9 North America (http://shop.delorme.com/OA_HTML/DELibeC ... site=10020) that came with my PN-60w gps unit. I download gps tracks from the handheld to the PC software and, in areas where I have purchased USGS topos, display them on the topo map for trip reports. I also use the software to geolocate photos (it compares the time the photo is taken with the gps location) for geotagging the photos. I also export the gps track to create displays on Google Earth.

Part of the answer depends on what kind of image you're looking to produce.

If you just want a 500px wide image of a topo map, go to http://caltopo.com/map.html (or one of several other similar sites) and take a screenshot, problem solved.

If you want something that prints well onto 8.5x11 paper, it gets a little more complicated. My site can do that, but it doesn't put neat tickmarks on the border or all the extra information on the bottom that Topo! does. Getting a clean full-page print also requires Google Chrome as browser printing is not nearly as evolved as printing from desktop apps. Either way, you're probably looking at printing to a PDF file, converting that PDF to a jpeg, and then opening it in an image editor like photoshop. When you're done, the jpeg file is probably going to be massive if it has enough resolution to print well.

The USGS site is great, but once you cross a 7.5' boundary you need to start stitching images together.

I've had this baby since gmap4 was starting out. I slightly improved it over time. This uses both google maps and mytopo maps. The map generation is from my topo. Don't worry, it is 100% legal, I read the rules, and to be double safe I contacted them too.

Be sure to be zoomed in all the way to get the highest resolution of maps. Now one of these days I hope to have it be embeddable onto sp and such.